Friday, November 15

Toxic-Free Future has released their latest report on the top 50 retailers in the US and Canada, with some distressing results.

Toxic-Free Future is a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering different chemicals and pollutants in household products. They conduct a study every few years to discover how safe the products are from 50 of the biggest retailers in the United States and Canada, working to eliminate dangerous chemicals like PFAS, lead, and oil-based plastics.

In total, the study ranks companies using four main criteria: Corporate Commitment, Transparency, Ban the Bad, and Safer Solutions. The first part assesses how committed companies are to making changes, while the second discovers their transparency-- in other words, how easily a customer can find out the contents of the product. The third category, Ban the Bad, scores the number of dangerous chemicals that the company has banned or is attempting to ban, and the last section assesses the company's financial investments into finding solutions to remove dangerous chemicals from their and their suppliers' products.

Unfortunately, this year's report delivered some poor results-- out of the 50 retailers on the report, 17 received a failing grade (F), and the average across the board was an abysmal D+. Only four retailers received an A: Apple (A), Sephora (A-), Target (A-), and Walmart (A-). Sam's Club, a warehouse store owned by Walmart, also received an A-. Next, only three stores received any sort of B: Whole Foods Market (B), IKEA (B), and Ulta Beauty (B-). 26 companies received a C or a D, significantly bringing down the total average. Lastly, 7-Eleven, Ahold Delhaize, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Chipotle, Five Below, Inspire Brands (subsidiaries include Arby's, Baskin Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John's, Sonic, and Dunkin'), LL Flooring (Lumber Liquidators), Macy’s, McDonald’s, Nordstrom, Publix, Sally Beauty, Sherwin-Williams, Sobeys, Subway, Trader Joe’s, and Yum! Brands (subsidiaries include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC) all received an F. Receiving an F is an automatic induction into Toxic-Free Future's "Toxic Hall of Shame," which includes

Of those 17 companies, Trader Joe's, Sherwin-Williams, Sally Beauty, Publix, Five Below, Alimentation Couche-Tard, and 7-Eleven all received zeros. Receiving a zero means that the company is taking absolutely no action to remove dangerous chemicals from their products.

Studies like these are becoming more and more important as the number of chemicals in everyday products rises. Dangerous chemicals like PFAS, PVC, phthalates, and bisphenols are becoming more common across several industries, harmful food additives are being seen in processed foods and candies, and heavy metals like lead are being found in popular foods like dark chocolate. However, that is not the only place these harmful chemicals can be found. In fact, PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, are found in virtually everything, from clothing to carpets to packaging to cosmetics to paints to flame retardants. PFAS is even in the air we breathe and the water we drink-- recent studies have shown that PFAS is present in the blood of over 98% of Americans.

It is crucial that people try their best to eliminate these harmful products from their lifestyles, as a buildup of these chemicals in people's bodies can lead to scores of health problems-- a few of which include metabolism changes, hormone disruption, developmental issues, eye damage, liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In 1887, engineers began to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to stop pollution from contaminating the city’s water supply. The reversal was completed in 1900.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): When hands are joined, no one can point fingers. (Jason Mraz)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Raddled (adj)- Someone described as raddled is in a confused or befuddled state (as from drinking). Raddled can also describe things that are broken-down or worn.

In a Sentence: We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor’s father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage.